Write us on WhatsApp
REQUEST A BROCHURE
REQUEST A BROCHURE
Graduate
Campus & Student Life
WiWo_BesteFachhochschulen2021_CBS_International_Business_School_engl

Masters in Digital/Online Marketing

REQUEST A BROCHURE
>800
Corporate Partners
>160
Partner Universities
3000
Students

Digital Marketing Master's Degree (M.A.) in Germany

master-digitales-marketing-studentin

What is digital marketing? And why is it important?

In many sectors, digital marketing is no longer just window dressing for traditional marketing but has become part of the strategic direction – particularly for globally operating companies in almost all sectors of the economy. As the diversity of digital media increases, there is a contemporaneous need in middle and upper management for experts who master both individual disciplines while also bringing management and leadership qualities to the table.

The English-language Master’s in Digital Marketing at CBS International Business School enables you to pursue a career filled with opportunities thanks to general and profound knowledge and well-trained soft skills.

Why study a digital marketing course in Germany?

Choosing to study digital marketing in Germany is a smart move due to the country’s exceptionally high educational standards. Studying for the Master’s in Digital Marketing at CBS International Business School means immersing yourself in a stunning, historical cities which boasts outstanding international connections. With its forward-thinking, global approach and strong corporate connections, CBS’ Master’s in Digital Marketing combines a first-class German education with practical, real-world applicability arguably making it the best digital marketing course in Germany.

From Strategy to Storytelling - What do you learn in an online marketing course?

How do you develop an online marketing strategy that works both internationally and across multiple channels and media? The Digital Marketing Master`s courses “Digital Storytelling” and “Digital Strategy Development” will provide you with the answers to these questions. Here you will learn about the various techniques and tools of online marketing. These include storytelling, website optimisation, search engine marketing, conversion optimisation, and marketing analytics.

You will gain a deeper insight in the seminar “Digital Content Creation”, which awaits you in the second semester.

  • ECTS 120
  • Semester 4
  • Language English
  • Type of Study Full-time
  • Degree Master of Arts
  • Campus Cologne
  • Internship Integrated
  • Semester Abroad Optional
  • Start of Studies Cologne Winter
  • Study Fees Cologne* 5.490€
FINANCIAL AID
RANKINGS & ACCREDITATIONS

Study Course Plan

Some information about the study plan for the study programme Masters in Digital & Online Marketing:

General business teaching units

Business Economics3 ECTS ? !
  • Demand analysis & estimating demand

  • Supply and market equilibrium

  • Production economics

  • Cost analysis

  • Estimating cost functions and production functions

  • Economies of scale

  • Prices, output and strategy in different markets

  • Game theory models of oligopoly

  • Pricing techniques and analysis

  • Government regulation

Empirical Research Methods3 ECTS ? !
  • Quantitative and qualitative methods

  • Development of a research question

  • Steps of research process

  • Methods of data collection

  • Sampling

  • Data analysis using statistical software programs (SPSS or R)

  • Writing a research report

Strategic Analysis & Management3 ECTS ? !
  • Strategy making process and strategic reasoning

  • Cultural and institutional context of strategic management

  • Network-level strategies

  • Corporate development and configuration

  • Strategic change and corporate restructuring

  • Strategy evaluation and strategic controls

Innovation Management & Digital Transformation3 ECTS ? !
  • Dynamics of innovation & their implications for change management

  • Individual creativity and invention

  • Corporate creativity & intrapreneuring

  • Technology management

  • Innovation and technology strategies

  • Managing innovations

  • Diffusion of innovations

  • Cultural differences in innovation capability

  • Contemporary trends in innovation management

Corporate Social Responsibility3 ECTS ? !
  • Cornerstones of sustainable management

  • CSR as management approach

  • Practical approaches of organizational effectiveness

  • Tools for CSR implementation

  • CSR and financial performance

  • Life cycle assessment

Corporate Governance3 ECTS ? !
  • Historical developments around the world

  • Directors and board structures in different parts of the world

  • Family business governance

  • Role of institutional investors

  • Corporate governance in mergers and acquisitions

  • Socially responsible investments

  • Corporate governance in different regions

Programme specific teaching units

Digital Strategy Development3 ECTS ? !
  • Digital Transformation

  • Big/Smart Data

  • Gamification

  • Content Marketing

  • Social Media Marketing

  • Social Customer Relationship Management

  • Geo-Targeting

  • Cross-/Trans-Channel Marketing

Digital Storytelling3 ECTS ? !
  • Transmedia trends

  • Writing Web contents

  • How to build a character

  • The 3 act model

  • Publishing stories

  • Story building for social media

Interdisciplinary competencies

Advanced Intercultural Team Leadership2 ECTS ? !
  • Cultural theories and models

  • The influence of culture on behaviour

  • Team typologies

  • Phases of team development

  • Trust and control

  • Emergence and avoidance of conflicts

  • Leadership verses management

  • Leadership styles

Advanced Negotiation & Influencing Skills2 ECTS ? !
  • Positional and principal negotiations – advanced strategies and tactics

  • Identifying the opponent’s negotiation profile

  • Understanding the personal negotiation profile and preferences

  • General persuasion techniques

  • Negotiation maneuvers and tactics for advanced players

  • Techniques for opponent engagment

  • Managing emotions and self- programming for defending your point of view

  • Cialdini’s 6 principles of persuasion

Language & Communication Skills2 ECTS ? !

Students are initially placed into an ACTW (Advanced) or FCTW (Foundations) course based on their results of the placement test. International students who qualify for the ACTW course have the option to officially replace this course by a German course.

General business teaching units

International Economics3 ECTS ? !
  • Globalization and income

  • Globalization and international trade

  • Trade and comparative advantage

  • Trade barriers and trade policy

  • Firm location, distance and transport costs

  • Currency crises and exchange rate policy

  • Financial crises, firms and the open economy

Applied Management Accounting3 ECTS ? !
  • Managerial accounting and global business environment

  • Cost term, terms and classifications

  • Systems design: Job-order costing

  • Systems design: Process costing

  • Cost-volume-profit relationships

  • Sustainability and ethics in accounting decision making

Programme specific teaching units

Digital Content Creation3 ECTS ? !
  • Project management in practice

  • Production

  • Distribution

  • Inspiring creative media artists

  • Creative tools for storytelling

Advanced Digital Marketing3 ECTS ? !
  • The digital marketing revolution

  • Changes in online communication behaviour and media consumption

  • Digital analytics

  • Data driven and cross-media marketing and tracking

  • Advanced Search Engine Optimization

  • Advanced Search Engine Advertising

  • Conversion Rate Optimization techniques and tools

Online & Social Media Management3 ECTS ? !
  • Theories of online social networks and communities

  • Collaborative product development

  • Behavioural economics and social media

  • Qualitative analyses of social media communications

  • Industrial espionage and big data

  • Cybersecurity

Business Project6 ECTS ? !

The overall objective of this course is to provide students with possibility of applying their business knowledge on concrete business situation, related to the field of their specialization.

By the end of the module students should be able to:

  • Define project goals for the “client”.

  • Work under the set timeframe and agreed project scope.

  • Cooperate in the international project teams.

  • Evaluate markets/ industries/ competitive landscapes.

  • Develop possible strategic directions for the “client” business.

  • Formulate recommendations.

Elective area

Interdisciplinary Elective3 ECTS ? !

By choosing Interdisciplinary Electives in the second and third semester you can personalize your degree course and extend your management knowledge. The Interdisciplinary Electives usually include subjects like:

  • Chat Bot Design

  • International Competitiveness

  • Omni-Channel Commerce

  • International Trade and Emerging Markets

  • Bitcoin and the Market of Cryptocurrencies

  • Business Process Modeling

  • Design Thinking & Adobe Creative Cloud

  • SAP S/4 Hana in Controlling and Finance

  • App Development in JavaScript

  • East Asian Culture and Business

  • Cultures of Consumption

  • SPSS

Interdisciplinary competencies

International Project Management2 ECTS ? !
  • Social competence: Communication, motivation, groups and team structures, leadership, conflict management

  • Methodological competence: Structural aspects, time management, cost management, human resource management, creativity and problem solving

  • Organisational competence: Quality management, documentation, risk management, project start and closure

Emotional Intelligence 2 ECTS ? !
  • Different Inteligencies – IQ vs EQ

  • The role of emotions – daily and work life

  • The construct of Emotional intelligence

  • Emotionally intelligent competencies & skills

  • Skills acquisition – Experiential/action learning

  • Reflection & reflexion

  • Encouraging engagement

  • Developing trust

Language & Communication Skills2 ECTS ? !

Students are initially placed into an ACTW (Advanced) or FCTW (Foundations) course based on their results of the placement test. International students who qualify for the ACTW course have the option to officially replace this course by a German course.

Programme specific teaching units

Big Data & Cloud Management3 ECTS ? !
  • Big Data

  • Cloud management tools

  • Cloud management strategies

  • Private, public, and hybrid clouds

Omni-Channel Commerce3 ECTS ? !
  • E-Commerce business models

  • Internet start-ups

  • Dot-com histories

  • Mobile Commerce

  • Mobile payment

Social Media Monitoring3 ECTS ? !
  • Manual monitoring

  • Monitoring tools

  • Steps of Monitoring

  • Evaluating the results of the Social Media Monitoring

  • Developing a monitoring concept

Media Planning3 ECTS ? !
  • Selection of media

  • Parameters of the media plan

  • Reach patterns

  • Assigning financial resources to different channels

  • Media planning tools

  • Cooperation with media agencies

Business Simulation Game3 ECTS ? !

In a business simulation game participants have to manage their own virtual company which operates in the same market as other participant-operated competitors. This involves making typical management decisions in realistic environments. Beside the deepening and active examination of subject-specific knowledge the simulation games also include the team environment, where interaction, communication and prioritization are of paramount importance. Participants learn how to manage risk and uncertainty while time is limited and information constrained. Group-reflections help to take over different perspectives and to discuss pros and cons of content- as well as behavior-related actions.

Master Thesis Tutorial2 ECTS ? !

During the Master Thesis Tutorial you will learn the fundamentals for your Master thesis: Defining the topic as well as structuring the thesis and you will learn the theoretical knowledge for scientific working.

Elective area

Interdisciplinary Elective3 ECTS ? !

By choosing Interdisciplinary Electives in the second and third semester you can personalize your degree course and extend your management knowledge. The Interdisciplinary Electives usually include subjects like:

  • Chat Bot Design

  • International Competitiveness

  • Omni-Channel Commerce

  • International Trade and Emerging Markets

  • Bitcoin and the Market of Cryptocurrencies

  • Business Process Modeling

  • Design Thinking & Adobe Creative Cloud

  • SAP S/4 Hana in Controlling and Finance

  • App Development in JavaScript

  • East Asian Culture and Business

  • Cultures of Consumption

  • SPSS

Interdisciplinary competencies

Skills Elective2 ECTS ? !

In the Soft Skills Courses you will improve your social, leadership and project management skills. Additionally to the courses in the first and second semester you can choose another one in the third semester. Decide for yourself which of your personal competences you want to push forward.

Advanced Digital Marketing Techniques and Tools 2 ECTS ? !
  • SEM approaches and tools

  • Google Analytics theory & practice

  • Google Ads theory & practice

  • Google Ads Keyword Planner

  • XOVI SEO Tool

  • Several freemium SEO tools

  • Google Search Console

Language & Communication Skills2 ECTS ? !

Students are initially placed into an ACTW (Advanced) or FCTW (Foundations) course based on their results of the placement test. International students who qualify for the ACTW course have the option to officially replace this course by a German course.

Programme specific teaching units

Master Thesis24 ECTS ? !

During your 4th semester you are working on your Master thesis. You have 19 weeks to complete your thesis and the subject is freely selectable. A supervisor from CBS will support you and you can write the thesis in collaboration with a company as well. Or you can write your thesis in connection with a stay abroad.

master-digitales-marketing

Focus on Social-Media

In the Digital Marketing Master`s programme at CBS you will learn how you can use Facebook, Instagram and Co. to plan campaigns that reach exactly the right users. Successful social media strategies require not only effective messages, but also the ability to place them on the right channels and keep an eye on the results. Learning how to manage and monitor various social media outlets is just as much a part of the Digital Marketing Master’s programme as gaining in-depth knowledge of influencer marketing. Use your knowledge in these key areas to build up a decisive competitive advantage and learn how to use large advertising budgets in a targeted manner.

Achieving Key Performance Indicators with the Marketing Master`s Degree

Targeting and big data are two keywords that come to mind when it comes to placing advertising messages in a targeted manner. In order to measure success, it is important to set meaningful goals and ultimately achieve them with well thought-out campaigns. You will learn how this works in the second and third semesters, among other things, during these courses:

  • Omnichannel Commerce

  • Big Data and Cloud Management

  • Media Planning

  • Social Media Monitoring

  • Online and Social Media Management

Study digital marketing in Germany – in English!

CBS’ Master’s in Digital Marketing is taught in English and with business English also on the agenda, you will achieve mastery of both international business vocabulary and industry-specific nomenclature. This will prove particularly useful since almost all digital innovations and trends emerge from the USA. In addition to English, you will also learn another foreign language to further bolster your skillset.

Apply your online marketing knowledge to real-life situation

Managers in digital marketing need solid business management skills to make economically viable decisions. These are taught in the Digital Marketing Master`s programme.

With a Master’s in Digital Marketing at CBS, you can apply your freshly acquired expertise in a business project or see how you measure up with others in a business simulation game. Alternatively, you can gain insight into the real digital economy during an eight-week-minimum internship. In the fourth semester, you can also gain practical experience for your master’s thesis, optionally within the framework of a corporate project. Alternatively, it is also possible to write your master’s thesis during a semester abroad. Maybe in California?

Build up your expertise with a graduate degree

APPLY NOW
GET IN TOUCH WITH A STUDY ADVISOR

Join one of our virtual events and get to know the CBS

Virtual

Virtual Student Life in Germany Event

18. April 2023 | 16:00 - 17:30
Virtual

Online Information Session Master's

27. April 2023 | 17:00 - 18:00
Virtual

Evolution of the Brain

25. May 2023 | 16:00 - 17:00
Virtual

Global Supply Chain Risk Management

4. July 2023 | 16:00 - 17:00

Online Marketing career path - What are the job opportunities? 

With a Master’s in Digital Marketing from CBS, you will become an expert in how to integrate digital media into the various marketing processes. This makes you incredibly employable with regards to management positions in both operative and strategic marketing in the following:

  • International corporations

  • Content providers and agencies

  • Ad-tech companies

  • Media agencies

  • Or perhaps through starting your own business as an entrepreneur

In the case of the latter, the media management faculty will support you in cooperation with the entrepreneurship chair at CBS and the Hochschulgründernetz Cologne (hgnc).

What are the requirements for a Master’s Degree in Online Marketing at CBS?

For admission into the Master’s in Online Marketing, you need a Bachelor’s degree, including 30 credits relating to the field of business administration, and advanced English language skills.

NEED MORE REASONS? FIND OUT WHY CBS IS THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU

  • INTERNATIONAL

  • PRACTICE ORIENTED

  • ACCREDITED

  • PERSONAL

WHY CBS?

Learn more about us and our graduate programmes

You would like to inform yourself about our Bachelor and Master programs at home in peace? Request your information material now without obligation and free of charge, and we will be happy to send you our study information material by e-mail.

Follow us on Instagram & Facebook, get to know us at one of our Information Events, or Contact our student advisors to learn more about us.

Anika Zaeske

Anika Zaeske

Study advisory: Campus Cologne
Got any questions? We are happy to help!

Phone: +49 (0) 221 93 18 09-31
WhatsApp: Reach us on WhatsApp
E-Mail: study@cbs.de
Leah Krug

Leah Krug

Study advisory: Campus Mainz
Got any questions? We are happy to help!

Phone: +49 (0) 6131 88055 31
WhatsApp: Reach us on WhatsApp
E-Mail: study@cbs.de
Ida Möhrke

Ida Möhrke

Study advisory: Campus Berlin/Potsdam
Got any questions? We are happy to help!
Phone: +49 (0) 178 57 61 749
WhatsApp: Reach us on WhatsApp
E-Mail: study@cbs.de
  • icon active icon
  • icon active icon
  • icon active icon

This is What Our Students Say